1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a torso and lumbar support pillow for supporting a person in lateral recumbency, that is lying on a person's side.
2. Background
It is necessary or desirable under a variety of circumstances for a person to lie on their side in a position that does not allow them to take advantage of human anatomical structures that would allow the person to rest on their side in a more semi-lateral position with minimal effort. When a person needs to maintain their position lying on their side without leaning back to rest on some of the larger muscles in the rump and portions of the shoulder, this position can cause strain to muscles in the lumbar region of the back, stomach, legs and hips, and fatigue from the effort required to maintain this nonresting position in lateral recumbency. The reasons why a person might desire or need to maintain their body in such a position include, but are not limited to, during pregnancy, breast feeding while lying down, keeping pressure off injured tissue, as in the case of hemorrhoids, burns and abrasions, stabilizing a lateral recumbency position for post-surgical needs, and therapeutic treatments, such as to topical agents, heat, etc.
A number of articles have been designed to aid a person in maintaining a position of lateral recumbency. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,828, Alivizatos, a support pillow is described that is a fabric wedge or roll filled with a compressible substance. Although the pillow of Alivizatos does aid the lateral recumbency position, the fabric filled with the compressible substance does not provide adequate support to prevent the fatigue or strain that is experienced by the lumbar region of the back in maintaining this position on the lateral edge of the pelvis. In addition, Alivizatos describes a front roll or wedge to accompany the back-placed roll or wedge; under circumstances, such as when breast feeding, a front wedge may obstruct the breast and is not always possible to place or helpful to use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,780, Clute, also discloses a support pillow. Clute describes a front and back pillow as well and as previously explained, a front pillow is not always helpful or adequate in supporting this lateral recumbency position. Like the other prior art, the back pillow does not provide adequate support to prevent the fatigue or strain that is experienced by the lumbar region of the back in maintaining this position on the lateral edge of the pelvis. In addition, Clute is primarily dedicated to holding an infant in a side-resting position, and is not designed to provide the necessary support for an adult body frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,396, Ritchie, Jr. et al. teaches a support pillow for a person lying on their side for use by a pregnant woman. The pillow in Ritchie is not designed to provide lumbar support for a person positioned on their side, since it is not necessary for a pregnant woman to maintain a position strictly on her side, and she may roll slightly backwards into a semi-lateral position to take advantage of natural anatomical structures that allow her to rest substantially on her side, but in a more natural and restful position. In addition, the pillow in Ritchie is soft and includes a front support pillow, both of which are not adequate to support a person in lateral recumbency and a front roll may in fact be inappropriate in aiding or hinder the maintenance of the lateral recumbency position by a person.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,539, Grigg, teaches an inflatable, triangular multiple-use pillow. While Grigg may be somewhat beneficial for multiple purposes, such as knee support or wrist support, the triangle shape is inadequate to provide lumbar support to help maintain a lateral recumbency position and reduce the strain and fatigue associated with maintaining the side resting position.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lateral support pillow for increased support of a person in a lateral recumbency position.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a support pillow that assists in position stabilizing for a person in a lateral recumbency position.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a lateral support pillow for a woman that is in the lateral recumbency position for breast feeding.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lateral support pillow with improved structure for support of the lumbar region of the back to reduce strain and fatigue associated with maintaining a lateral recumbency position for a sustained period of time.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a support pillow with improved support structure to support the torsos and lumbar back area of a woman during pregnancy.